


April Showers Bring May...Floods

by bendleshnitz1



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Infidelity, Unhappy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-10
Updated: 2012-07-10
Packaged: 2017-11-09 14:31:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/456562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bendleshnitz1/pseuds/bendleshnitz1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Teddy was right; affairs always ended badly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	April Showers Bring May...Floods

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for teddy_fest . I want to clarify that no character bashing is intended. I think every character in this story is infurating and stupid at some point. This was unintentional. I like all of them and hope you do too at the end. Also cross-posted on fandom_fridays for Week #42 with the prompt "Just because I want to use your body as a jungle gym doesn't mean we need to get married".  
> Prompt: "Having an affair is nothing like taking a pottery class. It would start out like that, and then, um, something would happen. Someone, uh, finds out, or someone falls in love, and it ends disastrously. It always ends disastrously." - Unfaithful

**April Showers Bring May...Floods**

**April 28th**

The kettle started whistling, signalling the water was ready for his tea. Teddy looked for the tea leaves that Ginny had sent him two weeks ago. Starting to pour the water in his cup, he remembered Victoire was in the house.

"Do you want a cup of tea, Vic?" he asked loudly enough so she could hear him from her study.

Having excelled in her career as a Healer, Victoire had decided to study Muggle medicine. The prospect of starting a family was long forgotten after a few false alarms and a couple of miscarriages. Embarrassed and appalled at the idea of a Weasley considering adoption, Victoire immersed herself into work and studying, leaving as a memory of the happiness that characterised the first years of their married life.

Teddy entered her study. She was surrounded by a lot of large books, and she frantically pressed the keys of that laptop thing she had to buy for University. "Vic?"

"Huh?" Her head snapped away from the screen. "Oh, Teddy," she said, her voice lacking any emotion, as she turned to look at him.

It wasn't the bags under her eyes or the messy hair that made it hard for Teddy to remember a time when he considered her the most beautiful creature to walk the face of the Earth. It was her spirit. It was like her soul had been turned off long ago. The radiance that she had always emanated was now nowhere in sight and Teddy would give anything to have his Victoire back.

"I'm making tea. Do you want a cup?"

"No. I'm drinking coffee," she answered dismissively, already facing the computer as if he wasn't in the room anymore.

"Oh," he said with a frown. "I didn't see you in the kitchen."

"Didn't have to use it," Victoire said, waving a flask of coffee over her shoulder.

"Ah...alright. Well...if you want something to eat, I could-"

"Can't eat. Makes me sleepy, remember?"

"Right. I'll let you study then," he said dully. Not receiving any response, he headed back to the kitchen.

Teddy leaned against the counter, watching the tree in the backyard dance with the wind in the dark night. Taking deep breaths of the peppermint tea with honey cradled in his hands, he watched in silence out the window. He might as well go to bed, he thought to himself, after finishing his tea. He couldn't see Victoire joining him any time soon.

Taking one last sip, he saw the shadow of a person moving outside. Grabbing his wand, Teddy went outside to investigate, closing the door behind him and setting the wards around the house. Growing up with people as paranoid as the Weasleys and the Potters didn't leave him much of a choice.

Walking in the darkness, besides the sound of the strong wind playing with the tree, a sob reached his ears.

" _Lumos_ ," he whispered in confusion.

"Teddy?" a quivering voice asked. A voice he was familiar with. "Oh, Teddy!" Next thing he knew, Lily was hugging him tightly with her arms around his neck and sobbing openly against his shoulder.

"Lily? Lily, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

"No," she cried, "Chris- Christopher left me!" as another set of tears started to dampen his shirt.

"Shh...it's okay. It's going to be alright," he cooed against her ear, caressing her long hair like he had done when she was a little girl afraid of storms. "Let's go inside."

* * *

"Here, drink this."

"What is it?" she asked between heavy sobs.

"A Calming Draught. You're going to choke if you don't breathe, Lily," he explained, sitting beside her and rubbing her back to soothe her.

Drinking the potion in one go, Lily instantly calmed down, now only sniffing occasionally.

"Is Vic home?"

"She's studying. Do you want to talk to her?"

"No, no. I was just asking," she said with a shrug. After a couple of minutes of sitting in silence, Lily looked at him with a small smile. "Aren't you going to ask me what happened?"

He shook his head slowly. His gaze fixed on the empty glass on the table. The rim of it stained with her lipstick. "No," he finally said. "You're going to tell me eventually... if you need to. I know that an interrogation was what you were trying to avoid by coming here and not going to your parents'."

Lily chuckled humourlessly as she rested her head against his shoulder. "Yeah. Thanks, Teddy."

"Anytime, Lils," he said, pressing a kiss on her forehead.

**May 1st**

"You are kidding me, aren't you?" Victoire said angrily, placing her hands on her hips.

"No, of course I'm not kidding you. For fuck's sake Victoire, don't you understand? I've made a special dinner for your birthday, I've been waiting for you for six bloody _hours_ and I _just_ discovered you were already home only because you flushed the fucking toilet? Does _that_ seem like a joke to you?" Teddy screamed back, gesturing madly in anger.

"It clearly is as I would expect you to know by now when my birthday is!" The sound of books being shut with all her strength were muffled by their shouts.

"Of course I know when your birthday is! I just thought that, for a change, we could actually celebrate it _happily_ instead of in a bloody Memorial with the portraits of my dead parents on the wall among those of other people that died in the War."

"Excuse me for having things to do and focusing on my career!" she screamed sarcastically, following him to the kitchen.

" _Exactly_! That's the problem, Victoire! This is a _marriage_ , and I can't make a marriage work by myself. The only thing you live for is your career. Where does that leave _me_?" Engrossed in his anger, Teddy hadn't realised he had pressed Victoire against the wall. His knuckles hurting as he had punctuated each word with a punch on it.

"I don't know what you want from me, Ted," she spat in disgust and fear as his hair fell against his forehead in deep red.

He gasped, letting his gaze fall to the floor. "You don't get it, do you? You still don't get it," he said more to himself than to her.

Grabbing the bottle of wine from the table, he strode out of the house and Disapparated to the first place he could think of.

* * *

Teddy knocked on the door, his breathing laboured as he tried to control himself from breaking everything in front of him in anger.

"Who is it?"

"Teddy," he said, leaning against the doorframe. The door opened quickly to reveal Lily. "Can I crash here for the night?" Teddy asked, showing Lily the expensive bottle of wine.

As Lily moved away from the door to let him in, she waved the glass of firewhiskey in Teddy's direction. "The party has already started," she said sourly, rolling her eyes and taking a big gulp of her drink.

"'S okay. I'll catch up," he joked humourlessly, opening the wine with his wand and sipping on the wine from the bottle as he entered Lily's apartment.

"Great."

* * *

They had spent the last two hours drinking in silence; the sound of ice cubes on a glass were the only thing to break it.

"He wanted to live," Lily said suddenly.

"Wha'?" Teddy asked in confusion, looking at her. Her legs were thrown over one arm of the armchair as she rested her back on the other.

"Christopher," she whispered. "He left me because he said he wanted to live life before getting married and starting a family. He said he wanted to see the world." She finished her glass in one go before continuing. "Like we couldn't do that together," she said bitterly. "It's not like I chased him everywhere begging him to get me pregnant, you know?" she finished in a hopeless tone.

"I'm sorry, Lils," he said sympathetically. "If it's of any consolation to you, marriage is not a fun ride."

"I don't care! I want him! For all I care, we could have stayed engaged the rest of our lives. I don't need to marry him. I just need Christopher." Tears started running down her face as she spoke.

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm just not the best to comfort anybody tonight. C'me here," Teddy said opening his arms.

Lily sat on the couch beside him and let her body rest against his. His arms surrounded her and rubbed her back slowly. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to enjoy the warmth of his body.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked hesitantly.

Teddy heaved a sigh. "Things aren't going so well with Vic. She- she's never home, and when she is, I barely see her. She's immersed in her work and doesn't say more than two words to me. It's like... like we are two strangers living in the same house," he explained sadly, feeling dizzy from all the alcohol in his body.

"I'm sorry," she slurred drunkenly, sliding a hand under his shirt and softly caressing his chest with her nails.

Inhaling deeply through his teeth, Teddy closed his eyes and savoured the gesture. "Yeah... I miss her touch most of all, you know? The comfort of having someone's body next to me at night. Someone I can hold after a long day. Someone who can make me feel... _alive_ ," he whispered, lowering his gaze to look into her eyes.

Closing her eyes, Lily closed the small distance and kissed him on the lips. The kiss was short, but after not being rejected, she kissed him again, her tongue now caressing his closed lips, asking for entrance. Opening his mouth, Teddy started kissing her back passionately, savouring her tongue. He marvelled at how sweet she tasted despite the bitter mix of wine and firewhiskey. It wasn't long before she straddled his hips and started unbuttoning his shirt.

"Wait," he gasped. "This... this isn't-"

"Teddy, don't try to fight it. You know you want it. You _need_ it. And so do I," Lily whispered against his neck. She kept moving her hips, rubbing her center against the tent in his trousers. "Why not find comfort in each other? Just for tonight?"

She separated from him and looked him in the eyes. Her brown eyes were a shade darker than usual, and her red hair fell carelessly around her shoulders. Her chest moved up and down with each agitated breath. Images of the seven-year-old girl with braids that followed him around, begging him to play with her dolls were erased from his mind as he looked at the woman straddling him against the couch.

"You're not my Lily girl anymore, huh?" he thought out loud as his hands caressed her arms.

"At least not a _girl_ anymore," she said wickedly, giving him a seductive smile.

Grabbing her face between his hands, Teddy brought Lily closer to kiss her one more time. "Are you sure?"

"Teddy, I'm not a virgin. Now, help me with my shirt."

**June 16th**

"You are seriously not coming?" Harry asked.

"Sorry, Harry. I don't feel well, and I have to catch up on some paperwork. Send Lily my love, though," Teddy said for what felt like the tenth time. His knees were starting to hurt from crouching on the floor in front of the fireplace.

Harry sighed. "You know, I could talk to Ulrox. I'm not the Head Auror for nothing."

"Harry, please," Teddy begged.

Harry looked at him intently for a few seconds, and a slight frown crossed his forehead. He knew there was something else, but Teddy knew Harry was not one to push.

"Fine."

Teddy let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding until then.

"I can't believe you're missing Lily's birthday. You've never missed her birthday since she was born!"

"Yeah, well...there's a first for everything, isn't it?" Teddy said with a nervous shrug.

"I guess...But I never thought there'd be a first with _this_ ," he said, pressing his lips in a thin line.

"You're acting like I'm missing _your_ birthday, Harry," Teddy joked to lighten the mood.

"You better not! I'm not starting to say goodbye to my fifties without all my children there."

Teddy smiled softly. It always made him feel loved when Harry referred to him too when he said "my children".

"I'll make sure to be the first one there then."

"Good," he said with a smile. "Vic is still-"

"-in Nigeria. Yeah. Extra credit."

"Well, hang in there, kiddo. Many of us would do anything for a two-months holiday from our wives- Ouch!"

"Hi, Ginny!" Teddy said laughing as Harry rubbed the top of his head.

"Hello, Teddy," she said with a sweet smile. "Are you alright? I heard you weren't feeling well-"

"Eavesdropping, Gin? Tsk, tsk," Harry said mockingly beside her.

"Don't interrupt me, Harry, when I'm taking to one of my boys," she chastised quickly. "Do you need me to bring you anything?"

"I'm okay, Ginny. Thank you. Nothing a hot cup of tea and some rest won't fix," he lied for the hundreth time that night.

"Alright. Make sure you do that. And if you need anything-"

"-you know where to find us," Harry finished. "C'mon, Gin. He's an adult, and Hermione needs your help in the kitchen. I rather not eat a burnt cake."

Ginny sighed. "Fine. Take care, Teddy! We'll miss you!"

"Have fun," Teddy faked a smile. "Bye."

Once the connection was cut, Teddy threw himself to the floor. Lying on his back, he stayed looking at the ceiling thinking. How could he explain to Harry and Ginny he didn't want to see Lily after that night where he had shagged her brains out? No, there was certainly no other option (seeing as he was the coward who had been avoiding her for the last month) other than lying to them.

"And the award for the idiot of the year goes to..."

**July 26th**

As soon as the door opened, Teddy made his way inside the apartment, not waiting for an invitation. He turned to look at Lily, who opened her mouth to say something.

"No," he silenced her with a finger over her lips. "Let me say this or I'll chicken out again and be a bloody coward who avoids you for the rest of his life."

She nodded and silently closed the door.

"I'm sorry, Lily. I'm sorry for avoiding you, for not dealing with this like a man, for taking advantage of you-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Taking advantage of me?" Lily interrupted him. "Nobody took advantage of anybody, Teddy. It just happened," she said with a shrug.

"Still, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. I'm married and you're in love with Christopher. I'm-I'm also sorry because I can't stop thinking about that night," he blurted out. "There! I said it."

From all the possible reactions he had imagined, he had never pictured one where Lily would give him a crooked smile with not a hint of anger, disgust or reproof.

"Done? Is it off of your chest, Mister Hufflepuff?"

He frowned. "Yeah?"

"Good. Now stop pacing and sit down. I rather you not burn a hole on my floor, if you don't mind."

He took a seat next to her. His frown still plastered on his face.

"I can't stop thinking of that night either, Teddy. And I'm glad you came to talk to me. When you want to avoid someone, you're harder to find than a sneaky gnome! In a good way, of course," she finished with a smile. "There's nothing to be sorry about. We needed it. I still need it. This doesn't mean I love you. You're my friend and always will be, but hell we know how to have a good time, right?"

"Yeah, we do," he agreed with a laugh.

"So... I've been thinking. Why not make a deal?"

"A deal?"

"Yes. You know, I still love Christopher-"

"And I still want to fix things with Victoire," he added.

"Exactly. But we both agree that what we did felt good. So...why not...why stop it if it can help us cope as we struggle with our own failing love lives?" she suggested.

"I don't know, Lily. Cheating on Vic? When I want to fix things with her?" Teddy knew infidelity always ended badly. Someone always ended up being hurt, and he cared too much for Lily and himself to let them suffer... again.

"Just... just think about it, alright? You know where to find me."

**August 3rd**

Teddy felt like hitting his head against the wall. "You just came back from Africa and you're telling me you're going to the other side of the world for another month?"

"Don't be selfish, Teddy! Malaysia is in the middle of a war; they need as much medical help as they can get. Besides, it's _not_ on the other side of the world. Maybe you should look at a map every once in a while," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Maybe you should too because I believe fucking Malaysia is not a few miles from here either. How are we supposed to keep this marriage alive if you always put others before us?"

"Others need me more than you do, Teddy. At least those poor people do."

"Fine. Do what you want," he said with a huff storming to the bedroom.

He hastily looked for a piece of parchment in the drawers of the small desk in the corner. Finding a small piece, he sat down and wrote a single line.

_Let's do it. Your place in an hour?_

Calling Cipnia, he attached the small note to her leg. "Be a good girl and take this to Lily?"

**September 10th**

Gasping, Teddy let his weight fall beside Lily. They were both sweaty, both trying to recover their breaths when thunder startled them. Chuckling, Teddy looked for a comfortable position, lying on his side and bringing Lily back to his chest.

"Do storms still scare you?" he whispered against the back of her neck.

"No. Had to get over my fear at Hogwarts. How would it look if I crawled into a roommate's bed crying?"

For a few minutes, they just stared at the rain from each other's arms, enjoying the company.

"This is nice, huh? Having the chance of being close to someone despite all..." Teddy commented suddenly.

"Yeah, but we still don't have the people we want with us."

"It could be worse, couldn't it? At least we have each other," he said cheerfully.

"Yeah...I guess," Lily answer in an odd tone. A tone that would haunt him the rest of that sleepless night.

**November 19th**

"I missed you," Teddy said in a husky voice against her already swollen lips.

Lily had gone for ten days on a internship to Spain. Her job in the Department of Magical Transportation was a great way for her to enter the field, and her dream of becoming part of the Broom Regulatory Control squad was closer with this trip. However, Teddy couldn't wait to see her again. Attacking her lips in a deep kiss before she could say hello, Teddy found himself thirsty for her. His hands wasted no time starting to take off her clothes and massaging her breasts.

"Yo tambien," she gasped in an imperfect Spanish accent.

Teddy groaned and ground his hips against hers. "I have no idea what you said, but I hope it was 'fuck me' 'cause that's what I'm about to do," he breathed fervently against her cheek before lowering his head and closing his lips around her right nipple.

Moaning, Lily brought her hands to Teddy's turquoise hair, bringing him closer to her skin. "Then yes, that's what I said."

**December 25th**

Dominique walked back from the kitchen with a tray full of hot chocolate and biscuits floating behind her. Sitting on a cushion on the floor, she placed with just a hand gesture the tray on the coffee table in the middle of the circle the girls were forming.

"I still don't get how you can do that," Victoire said with a huff as she made one cup float to her hand with a flick of her wand.

"Jealous, _sœur_?" Dominique joked, saying "sister" in French like their mother insisted them doing when they were little.

"Jealous? No. Frustrated? Most definitely. Do you know how long I've been practising that? It would be very useful to use in the Muggle hospital."

Silence filled the room for a few minutes. The boys' screams came from outside interrupting the silence. The snow ball fight that took place every year after Christmas lunch was in full swing now, and an occasional boisterous laughter from the adults trespassed Ron's poorly done _Muffliato_ , interruptering the quietness of the living room in the Burrow as the girls ate peacefully.

"So," Roxanne said suddenly, clapping her hands and rubbing them with a threatening smile.

"Oh, no," Rose lamented from her place on the couch, rolling her eyes at her cousin.

"Oh, _yes_ ," Roxanne hissed. "Time for boy talk!"

"Can't you think of anything other than cocks?" said Lucy with a small smile.

Roxanne looked at her. "First, my brain just practically exploded with internal laughter. Imagine Uncle Percy's face if he had heard his precious Lucy saying ' _cock_ '." Everyone in the room chuckled as Roxanne continued her argument. "It is not the only thing I think about. I also think of muscles and perfectly shaped bums with sexy tattoos," she said, licking her lips with a dreamy expression.

"Mmmm. And piercings!" added Rose enthusiastically.

"Maybe some scars," said Molly with a shrug.

Lily looked at the girls from the corner of her eyes and asked mildly, "Long or short hair?"

"Not too long-"

"-and not too short either."

"Yeah...enough to be able to pull it as his stubble itches your skin when he kisses you all over," Roxanne finished, fidgeting on her couch.

Lily burst out laughing. She couldn't contain it anymore. "You're describing Uncle Charlie!" she screamed, pointing at her cousins from Grandpa Arthur's chair.

"WHAT?" they replied in chorus. Their shocked faces were soon replaced by the classic Weasley blush as they reviewed all the descriptions in their heads.

"Oh, Merlin!" Rose said horrified burying her face in her hands.

"I was not- Uncle Charlie doesn't- He's not- Oh, my. Eww!" Molly said with disgusted expression.

"Oh, well. Uncle Charlie is not that bad," Roxanne said with a shrug. "I bet he was a heart breaker in his days."

Lily chuckled incredulously. "And that's why he's never been married?" she said sceptically, arching her right eyebrow.

"Yes, that's-"

"Alright, alright. Can we just drop the subject? I rather you not talk about Uncle Charlie's love life," Victoire said, looking intently at her younger cousins.

"Aaaww, how sweet, Vic, but I think your dear godfather doesn't need you to defend him."

"Oh, yes? Well, let's talk about Uncle Harry then. Is that okay with you, Rose?" Victoire spat.

"Jeez! What's got your knickers in a twist, Vic?" Rose said in a hurt tone, frowning at Victoire.

With a huff, the eldest Weasley in the room stood up and looked at the rest of the girls. "I think Teddy is cheating on me," Victoire said with tears in her eyes. Her gaze went through all of their faces before continuing. Lily didn't know if it was her own guilt or that Victoire actually suspected of her when Victoire's gaze lingered in her face. "I'm sorry for not being the soul of the party, guys," she said in a sour tone before storming out of the Burrow.

**January 12th**

"Teddy?" Lily whispered, looking at the shadows the furniture made in the dark room.

"Hmm?" He hummed sleepily with his face smashed against the pillow.

"I think Vic knows."

"Mmm."

Lily sighed. The guilt that had lived in her chest for the last seven months had never been so painful. This was supposed to be something short, to let out some steam and help them carry on with their lives...to get them back on track. She had never meant for her cousin to know about it and be miserable.

"We should stop seeing each other, Teddy."

"No," he murmured, putting an arm over her stomach and bringing her closer to him. His lips rested on her bare shoulder, making her skin tingle with each breath he took. The warm air making goose pimples on her skin.

"Okay. Sleep. But we'll talk about it tomorrow," she said softly, pushing his hair back and pressing her lips against his forehead.

"Night."

ººººº

Plates flew around the kitchen as Teddy prepared breakfast. Humming to himself, he poured the tea in the cups. Milk and sugar for Lily's, honey for him.

"Lily, breakfast is ready!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," she mumbled sleepily as she made her way to the table.

Teddy tried to ignore his cock twitching at her words. He smiled at how his body was like an eighteen-year-old's when it came to Lily.

"Not all of us slept like babies last night, you know?" she reproached biting at her toast.

"Sorry, Lils," he said sympathetically, caressing her hand over the table.

Finishing their breakfasts, Lily sent the dishes flying to the sink. "Now, are you awake enough to talk?"

"About what?" he asked curiously.

"Our situation. On Christmas-" The tap of an owl bringing a letter interrupted her. Getting up to open the window, the black owl made its way to the table.

"It's an International Owl," Teddy said, looking at the blue and red band on its leg.

Lily opened the letter as Teddy fed the animal.

"It's from Christopher," she gasped. "He... he wants to talk."

**February 15th**

Sunshine slipped through the curtains of Lily's room. Teddy sat on the bed with his back against the headboard. Clad in just his pants, he played with the ends of the wrinkled light blue sheets.

"So, when is Christopher coming to England?" He flinched at how fake his 'casual tone' sounded. Since Lily had received that letter from her ex, Teddy couldn't think of anything else.

He heard her huff as she turned the shower off. "In two weeks. Teddy you've been asking me that same question for a month!" she said through the closed door.

"I know. Just... forgot, I guess," he apologised, twisting and turning the cotton fabric between his fingers.

The bathroom door opened, and Lily came out drying her hair with a towel. The steam coming from the room, mixed with the sunshine, entered through the window. Teddy looked at Lily, who was wearing his shirt, as she hummed to herself. Her freckled legs looked magnificent as the end of his shirt rode up just so, exposing all of her thighs and part of her bum, whenever she lifted her arms to dry the hair on the top of her head.

Throwing the wet towel on the floor, Lily grabbed her brush and started combing her hair in front of the oval mirror in the corner of the room. The ends of her red locks were drier than the rest of her hair, and it looked a few shades lighter as she combed it effortlessly.

Teddy looked intently at her reflection, marvelling at her beauty, and a pang of guilt washed over him as he failed to remember the last time he had watched his wife and thought the same thing.

Her eyes went to his face and looked at him through the mirror. "Don't fall in love with me, you fool," she said softly with a small smile.

Teddy closed his eyes for a second. _Don't fall in love with her, you_ _bloody idiot._

**March 5th**

Apparating to his backyard after a long day at work, Teddy saw someone sitting on the porch. Walking towards the person, he realised it wasn't Victoire waiting for him.

"Lily," he whispered as he saw the tears running down her eyes. "What happened?"

He sat beside her on the steps and she immediately threw her arms around him. As she sobbed against his shoulder, he didn't know what to reflect as his heart broke a little with each of her tears.

"Shhh, it's okay. I'm here," he cooed while caressing her hair.

With time, Lily calmed down a bit to explain between sniffs and occasional sobs. "I saw... Christopher."

Teddy felt his blood boil with jealousy. He knew she was going to see her ex today, but that didn't mean he was prepared for it. Clutching his hands in a fist, he took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself.

"What did he do to you?" he hissed. His tone as calm as he could master it.

Lily sniffed. "Nothing," she said with a shrug. "He asked me to take him back, to forgive him."

He sighed deeply. "And?"

"He said he wasn't happy. That he had lived without me for months now and he couldn't do it any more. That... that he needed me," she said with a chuckle. "And to think I thought the same thing. You know, Teddy... I had planned today in my head more times than I can count. In all of those scenarios, I always took him back, without a second doubt. However, when I was there looking into his eyes... I just thought of one person."

"Who?" He couldn't help the hope in his voice. Every fiber of his being was praying at that moment for her to say she had chosen him, that she wanted to be with him; because there was no doubt that was what _he_ wanted.

"Me," she said with broad smile on her face. "Teddy, for the first time since I started dating Christopher in my fifth year, I thought of myself first and not about him. I- I used to consider what was best for both of us first, sacrificing a lot of things in my life just because I loved him and I thought that was what people had to do to show their love: sacrifice. But being with you these past few months, I realised it doesn't have to be like that. That you should put your own well-being _before_ the rest."

"You can't be happy with someone if you're not happy with yourself," he said dully. His eyes fixed on the grass at their feet.

"Exactly!"

Faking a smile, he pushed her to the side playfully. "So why were you crying then if you're alright?"

"I don't know. I guess it all just... fell into place, and I suddenly realised that there was not going to be a future with Christopher after all," she said with a small shrug.

Teddy nodded, thinking that at least he wouldn't have to fight against Christopher's ghost to get to her heart. "Wanna celebrate with a drink then?"

"Erm...isn't Vic going to be waiting for you?"

Laughing, he stood up and pulled her on her feet. "I doubt she'll even notice. I'm sure she's buried in work. Let's go."

ººººº

Meanwhile, Victoire finished putting on her violet dress. Teddy's favourite. She hadn't worn it since she was twenty-four, but this was a special occasion and she wanted to surprise him. She wanted to show him she cared.

Just as she finished putting on her high heels, the alarm of the oven alerted her the chicken was ready. Victoire had never been a good cook, though she could manage herself and cook Teddy's favourite meal like a professional.

Checking the time, Victoire sat at the table, waiting for her husband with a glass of wine for each. She had bought the same wine they had served at their wedding, exactly ten years ago.

**April 22th**

"Any news?" Lily asked as hopefully as she could the minute Teddy entered the apartment.

Victoire had been missing for over a month now. She had been calling her parents every week to make them sure she was alright. Ever since he found out, Teddy had gone to Bill and Fleur's house to try to talk with her but she had refused to talk to him at all. Not giving any hint or information as to where she was, Teddy had started to consider his marriage over for good.

"No," he said shaking his head. "I don't think she's coming back... wherever she is."

"I'm sorry, Teddy," she said hugging him.

"This was meant to happen, Lily. We all knew this marriage was coming to an end at some point. It was just a matter of who and when, I guess," he said with a shrug.

"Aren't you going to fight for her?" Lily frowned as she looked at Teddy's impasive face.

"I don't think so. I honestly can't see the point in fighting for someone I'm no longer in love with," he said, looking intently into her eyes.

Lily didn't know what to do or what to say. She stood there feeling her whole world collapsing. Too far. They had gone too far, and what she feared the most had happened.

"Teddy... I- This was not what we... had planned!" she ended up screaming.

Anger won out in the end. She found herself angry at her decision, angry at their agreement that was doomed from the beginning and angry at destiny.

"Lily, I can't help what I feel. I'm sure that if you give me a chance-" He sighed. "We were happy this past year, weren't we?"

"We were just fucking, Teddy! Just. Fucking. I thought I was clear about that."

"Don't say that. You know perfectly well that we weren't 'just shagging' for a long time now. We are good together, Lily. We are meant to be together. If you'd just-"

"No!" she screamed. "I'm not going to do _anything_! You need to go, Teddy."

"No, we need to talk about this, Lily."

She opened the door of her apartment for him. "Please, leave. Don't make me hex your arse out of my house 'cause you know I will."

"But-"

"Leave. Now."

She felt every hair on her body standing on end. She was so furious. Mostly, furious at herself for really believing this was going to work. How could she be so stupid? There was no way things were going to end up the way she had thought they would a year ago. Teddy couldn't fix his marriage with Victoire (or maybe he had just stopped trying), and she ended up hurting one of the most important people in her life.

Closing the door, she let herself slide to the floor and cry for her mistake. Cry for the damage she had caused without intending to. Teddy was right, affairs always ended badly.

**May 10th**

Arriving home from work, to another miserable night alone, Teddy entered his house. Thinking for the hundredth time in the last month that it was too big for just one person, he made his way to the kitchen. There, on the table, were two envelopes waiting for him. Opening the bigger one, he saw they were legal papers with a little note inside:

_Teddy,_

_I'm really sorry it had to end like this, but you left me with no option. Being betrayed by my husband and my family, you left me with no choice other than to start all over as far away from my loved ones as I could._

_I wish you the best as I am sure you do the same for me. Please, send the papers to my dad when you're done with them. I already signed them. My mum has my wedding and engagement rings. I thought it would be best if you had them, so she will give them to you when you stop by their house._

_You'll always be the one who bears my firsts, and I'll always be grateful for being able to share them with my best friend. I just wish we hadn't hurt each other as much as we did. It could have been avoided, but our stubbornness didn't let us see that and give up._

_Take care of yourself, Teddy._

_Vic_

Falling in a chair, Teddy sat clutching the letter in his hands. He couldn't believe he was actually going to get divorced. It had never felt as real as it did right then and there. Examining the papers, he remembered the other envelope, now buried below the ones from Victoire.

Opening the other letter, he saw it was from Lily, who hadn't talked to him since that day he had blatantly expressed his love for her.

_Dear Teddy,_

_First, let me tell you I'm really sorry things had to end this way. We both know it wasn't our intention, and I really wish nobody had got as hurt as we all did in the end._

_I'm sending you this letter to tell you that I accepted a job in America. The Ministry for Magic of the USA offered me a great opportunity in their Department of Magical Transportation (which, by the way, is ten times bigger than the one in Britain). It's a fantastic opportunity for me career-wise, and I think it'll help us all get through this better._

_You will always be my friend and I will love you for always being there to support me. Trust me, this is my least favourite way to say goodbye, but taking into account everything that has happened, I don't have another choice._

_I hope you will one day be able to forgive me for everything. It was not my intention to ruin anyone's life._

_Love,  
Lily_


End file.
